Move forward with your UK career through a carefully prepared Skilled Worker visa application.
A sponsored job offer is an important step. Your application also needs the right occupation code, salary, sponsorship details and personal evidence. Knightsbridge helps you understand how these requirements apply to your circumstances, whether you are applying from overseas, switching routes, extending your permission or changing employer.
About this route
The Skilled Worker route allows eligible applicants to work for a Home Office approved sponsor in a qualifying role. You need a Certificate of Sponsorship, an eligible job and the required salary. Permission can last up to five years, depending on your sponsorship. Under the current rules, settlement may be possible after five qualifying years if the other requirements are met.
The usual salary requirement is the higher of £41,700 or your occupation’s going rate. Different provisions can apply to particular jobs and applicants, including eligible new entrants and people covered by transitional arrangements.
Eligibility Check
Consider these questions before applying:
- Has a licensed employer offered you an eligible role?
- Do your duties match the proposed occupation code?
- Does your salary meet the rules applicable to you?
- Can you meet the relevant English language requirement?
- Can you satisfy the maintenance requirement or an exemption?
- If applying within the UK, does your current permission allow switching?
New applicants generally need B2 English. Different provisions apply to some existing Skilled Worker visa holders, so your immigration history matters.
Understanding your situation
Your starting point shapes the application. You may be moving from a Graduate visa into your first sponsored job, arranging relocation with your family, or transferring to another employer.
We look at your current permission, previous sponsorship, proposed role and intended start date. This helps establish which rules need checking and what must happen before an application can be prepared.
How Knightsbridge Helps
Our agreed service can include:
- Assessing eligibility and identifying relevant transitional provisions.
- Reviewing the Certificate of Sponsorship against your application.
- Checking occupation, salary, English and maintenance evidence.
- Providing a document list tailored to your circumstances.
- Preparing the application and explaining information for your review.
- Supporting submission and responding to relevant Home Office queries within the agreed engagement.
You receive a clear explanation of the work required, the documents needed and your responsibilities. Where sponsorship information needs correction, we explain the issue so it can be addressed with your employer before submission.
Addressing Challenges
A familiar job title does not always establish eligibility. Your actual duties, contracted hours and pay need to support the proposed occupation code and applicable salary calculation.
Other concerns can include inconsistent sponsorship information, unsuitable English evidence or uncertainty about switching. We identify these issues early and explain what needs resolving, rather than leaving you to interpret conflicting guidance.
Timescales and Costs
Standard decisions are usually made within three weeks for overseas applications and eight weeks for applications within the UK, after identity and evidence requirements are completed. Availability of faster services varies, and processing can take longer.
Standard application fees currently range from £819 to £1,618 overseas and £943 to £1,865 within the UK, depending on sponsorship length. Reduced fees apply to qualifying Immigration Salary List roles. The adult Immigration Health Surcharge is normally £1,035 per year.
We confirm our professional fee, scope and any applicable VAT in writing before instructed work begins.
Situations requiring closer analysis
Tell us if you have previous refusals, an approaching visa expiry, a proposed employer change, or family members applying with you. Some occupations have additional restrictions on dependants. These details can affect the appropriate application and timing.
Your journey with Knightsbridge
We begin by understanding your family’s circumstances and the immigration position of the person you are joining. We establish who needs to apply, where each family member is living and which requirements need to be assessed.
We then agree a plan around your family’s deadlines and whether you are applying together or at different times. Each applicant receives a tailored document list, with an explanation of the relationship, financial and other evidence relevant to their application.
As the documents come together, we review them and identify anything that needs clarification. We prepare the applications carefully, checking that shared information is consistent while addressing each family member’s circumstances.
Before submission, we take you through the applications so you can check the details and ask questions. We then guide you through submission and identity checks, keeping you informed of updates and handling further requests covered by our agreed service.
When decisions arrive, we explain the outcomes and any next steps within the agreed scope, including permission dates and points to consider when planning future family applications.
Ready to have your case assessed?
Start with our Free Case Review to outline your circumstances and find out whether Knightsbridge can assist. This initial enquiry identifies the appropriate paid service; detailed advice and application work are separately agreed.
